Listen carefully and perhaps you can hear the sound of wine glasses being clinked in celebration in Chelsea’s boardroom. It’s some result for them if you consider the scale of offending – financial chicanery, dodgy deals, cheating, whatever you wish to call it – that was brought before the Football Association without, ultimately, leading to anything more than a £10million fine. There will be no points deduction, in other words, for the secret payments in the Roman Abramovich era that, rather awkwardly, helped to put Chelsea into such a position that £10m is the kind of money inside Stamford Bridge to be shrugged at. Because, as we all know, if there is one way to punish a £2.5billion behemoth such as Chelsea, it is to fine them the equivalent of what they might pay one first-team player in wages per season. It is hard to figure out how the appeals board could overturn the verdict of the independent regulatory commission, namely that Abramovich’s Chelsea had sought, and gained, a sporting advantage. Because, well, just think about it for a second. What other reason was there if not to get an advantage? Chelsea, lest it be forgotten, won three Premier League titles and their first Champions League during the relevant period. We can safely assume that Manchester City, facing 115 charges relating to alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018, will have been taking a keen interest in what has happened to Chelsea and, in particular, the absence of any sporting sanctions. 📝 @DTathletic 🔗 nyti.ms/4xeYr4i